Member of the Wedding
by lastincurableromantic
Summary: Unexpected guests arrive at the wedding of Rose Tyler and the meta-crisis Doctor John Smith. Humor, romance, a bit of angst. 10.5/Rose T 11/Rose T NOW UPDATED
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Doctor Who. Wish I did, but I don't.

**A/N: **Slightly AU in my mind. Takes place early in Season 5, before Rory comes with.

**Member of the Wedding**

**Chapter One**

The lower garden of the Tyler mansion was rapidly filling with people dressed in their finest formalwear, slowly making their way to the large white canopy in the center of the lawn. Chairs for three hundred had been set up, and these were already half full, despite the wedding not being scheduled for another hour.

The string quintet, friends of the groom from the University, exited the house and made their way to the canopy. A small area had been carved out for them, in front of the seating and next to the makeshift altar.

The groom was wandering around the garden greeting people in his tux and new black trainers. He had complained about wearing the 'Tux of Doom', but his soon-to-be mother-in-law, one of the most frightening aliens he had ever encountered, had insisted, and he finally gave in. He flatly refused, however, to give up the Converse, only making the concession to wear brand new ones. As the quintet began to play a piece from Handel's Water Music, the groom felt his stomach clench nervously. Was it time yet? He inwardly checked his Time Sense. No. Forty more minutes. Actually, make that thirty-eight minutes, twenty-three seconds. And counting. He plastered a smile on his face, hoping to hide his nervousness, and greeted the next group of guests to arrive.

Inside the mansion, in a large bedroom on the second floor, the bride was having her own attack of nerves. She had insisted to her mother repeatedly that she didn't want a large wedding, it wasn't necessary, and she wouldn't even know most of the people who were coming.

"Your dad does, and they're already here, so that's that."

Jackie Tyler was removing the veil from her daughter's head, trying to untangle it from Rose's hair without hurting her too much.

"Honestly, why we bothered to hire a professional hairdresser I'll never know. They've made a right mess of your hair. I'll have to do it all over myself, which is what I shoulda done to begin with." Jackie grabbed a brush and started yanking it through Rose's hair, causing her to cry out in pain.

"Mum, stop!" Rose ordered. "You're ripping it all out. If you keep this up, I won't have any hair left to style."

"Just tryin' to get some of this extra hold stuff to stop holdin' so much." She yanked the brush through Rose's hair again, and Rose stifled a yell. "There. Now I can start fixing it. Honestly, they had your hair so big it looked like mine at my wedding. My first wedding," she clarified.

"I remember that," Rose said with a smile. "The Doctor took me there. Dad got your name wrong."

Jackie laughed. "That he did. We were so young. And now our daughter's gettin' married." She sniffed and pulled out a tissue, blotting away tears before they could ruin her makeup.

"Okay, now, let's finish with your hair," Jackie said, turning back to Rose. "At least they did a good job with your color…"

Jackie Tyler, who had been a part-time hairdresser before getting trapped on a parallel world and marrying one of the richest men on the planet, quickly redid her daughter's hair into a simpler style and replaced the veil.

While she worked, the gentle strains of the quintet filtered through the open window. _Almost time,_ Rose thought nervously.

"There," Jackie said finally. "What do ya think?"

Tilting her head back and forth, Rose surveyed herself in the mirror. She had to admit, it was much better. "It looks… nice."

"Nice! It looks fantastic, and you look lovely. You'll be lucky if himself out there can get his jaw off the ground long enough say his vows."

Rose tried to picture that in her mind. Her fiancé was one of the most absolutely gorgeous men she had ever met, and he was even more adorable when he was gobsmacked. She grinned, her tongue just touching the tips of her teeth.

"If he gets that way, Mum, make sure you get _plenty_ of pictures."

Rose's maid of honor, Toshiko, stuck her head into the bedroom. "We've got just about fifteen more minutes until it's time." Then she noticed the changes to Rose's hair. "Oh, that's beautiful. Much better."

"Tosh, can you check on Tony?" Jackie asked. "Pete's supposed to be watchin' him, but Tony has a way of sneaking off. Don't want him to lose his ring bearer pillow or get his tux dirty."

"Will do," Tosh said, and left.

"Well, you 'bout ready?" Jackie said, turning back to her daughter. At the expression on Rose's face, she rushed back to her, grabbing her daughter's hands in hers. "What's wrong, Sweetheart?"

Rose sighed. "I just wish Mickey, Shireen, and Keisha could have been here. And Jack. And the Doctor."

"I'm so sorry your friends can't be here," Jackie said, pulling her into a hug. "But the Doctor is here. Right outside. Just waiting to marry you. You could see him from here if you looked."

Rose nodded. "I know. But you know what I mean."

Jackie was worried. "Rose, are you havin' second thoughts about marryin' this him? Because it's not too late to back out."

"No." Rose shook her head emphatically. "No. This is the one I want to marry. It's just…" She sighed heavily. "I dunno. It's just hard, I guess, when the man you love up and accidentally splits himself into two people."

Jackie had no response to that.

Rose got up, crossed to the window and looked out. Down below, she could see the Doctor, Doctor John Noble Smith in this world, wandering around the garden, greeting people, bouncing lightly on his toes as he walked. God, she loved that man so much and in less than an hour they'd be married.

Suddenly, she saw the Doctor freeze. A split second later, he took off, dashing across the lawn, dodging guests as he went, heading toward a copse of trees at the edge of the garden. A second later, after she heard what he did, Rose gathered up the skirts of her wedding gown into her arm and ran out of the room, grateful she had chosen to wear white Converse under her wedding gown.

"Rose," Jackie shouted. "Rose, what's the matter? What's goin' on?"

And then Jackie heard it, too. Off in the distance, only slightly louder than the string quintet, was the unmistakable wheezing and groaning of the TARDIS.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

The TARDIS rattled and shook as it made its way out of the time vortex and tried to materialize. The Doctor leaped around the console, pulling various knobs and pushing various buttons as he went.

"Bloody hell, Doctor, what is going on?" Amy demanded. "This is by far the roughest landing we've ever had. What have you done now?"

"Amelia Pond, I'll have you know that I have done nothing to cause this," the Doctor said in mock-offense, trying to keep the worry out of his voice. "Sometimes there is just a bit more turbulence in the time vortex and it makes materialization much more difficult."

"Really?" Amy said suspiciously.

The TARDIS made a sudden lurch as it landed. The Doctor, who was prepared for it and was hanging onto the console, barely swayed. Amy, who wasn't, flew backwards, landed on her backside and slid across the floor. Her long red hair landed in her face.

"Ow," she said in protest, brushing her hair out of her eyes and smoothing it back in place.

"It's all your own fault, Pond," the Doctor scolded. "You should have been hanging on."

"It's not my fault," she complained. "It's yours, yours and your bloody ship's."

The lights in the TARDIS dimmed.

"Oh, see, now you've hurt her feelings," said the Doctor. "Apologize, Pond."

"Sorry," Amy said to the ceiling, feeling stupid for apologizing to a ship. "I shouldn't have said it was your fault. Obviously, it was just the Doctor's."

The Doctor scowled at his companion, who was still sitting on the floor.

The TARDIS began to power down as she often did after a rough landing.

"The TARDIS seems to have injured herself," the Doctor said, reading monitors on the console and then scanning it with his sonic screwdriver. "It may take a few hours for her to recover."

"So where are we?" Amy asked as she got up and moved to stand next to him at the console.

"Laxicon 5. A tourist planet filled with museums, theaters, fine restaurants…"

"And shops?" asked Amy eagerly.

"And shops," the Doctor acknowledged with a nod.

"Am I dressed okay in this?" Amy asked. She didn't want to change, but given a choice between changing or getting arrested for violating some weird alien dress code, she'd prefer to change. Been there, done that. Had a whole closet of those t-shirts.

The Doctor looked at Amy, for the first time noticing what she was wearing. Long sleeve, striped dress coming down to barely mid-thigh, and dark brown, knee high boots. Her outfit would be illegal on twenty-seven planets he could think of off the top of his head but would not be a problem here.

"It should be fine," he said.

Amy ran to the door. Flinging it open, she stopped and turned.

"Doctor," she said slowly, "should Laxicon 5 be in the middle of a forest?"

"What?" he said. "No. No forest. Just museums and restaurants and shops and things." He gestured wildly with his hands. "No forests." He ran out the door.

Amy looked out. A tall, very thin, very handsome man in a black tuxedo was running through the trees towards them. A bit farther behind, a beautiful blonde woman in a strapless wedding dress was following, her dress hiked up past her knees and looped over one arm. Amy noticed that, oddly, both of them seemed to be wearing trainers. In the distance, she could hear some sort of music.

"No, no, no, no, no," the Doctor was saying, waving his hands in front of him. "No, this is not good. This is definitely very, very, very not good."

As Amy exited the TARDIS, dodging the Doctor and his waving hands, she saw the other man, the groom probably, stop running directly in front of the Doctor.

"You're here!" the man beamed. His open-mouthed grin seemed to literally spread from ear to ear. Amy noticed he had spiky, dark brown hair, sideburns, and incredibly dark brown eyes. Slightly taller than the Doctor, he fairly tackled him in a hug, lifting him off the ground before setting him back down. "I cannot believe it! And today of all days! This is perfect! Brilliant! Molto bene!"

Amy saw the woman in the wedding dress stop about ten feet away and stare wide-eyed at the scene in front of her.

"Doctor?" she asked tentatively.

Both men turned. "Yes?" they said in unison.

"Oh, oh right," the groom said when he realized his bride wasn't looking at him.

Amy saw the strangest look come over the Doctor's face. It looked to be a combination of happiness, longing, and hurt, all rolled up into one, combined with something else she didn't want to think about.

"Rose," he whispered.

"You've, you've regenerated," Rose said.

The Doctor seemed to pull himself together. "Yes, yes I did, just a little while back. New face," he said, tapping his cheek, "still giving it a bit of a test drive. Jury's still out, I think." He paused, then swallowed, his prominent Adams apple bobbing a bit. "What do you think?" he asked nervously.

"It's… different," she said slowly.

"Good different or bad different?" he asked, a slight smile coming to his face.

"Just … different," she grinned, and rushed toward him, catching him in a hug. "Oh, Doctor, I never thought I'd see you again."

"I never thought I'd see you again, either," he said, gripping her tightly.

Amy glanced over to the groom, who was leaning against the TARDIS, arms and ankles crossed. He had an odd look of both happiness and jealousy on his face. Eventually, when it looked like the Doctor might never let go of Rose, the groom cleared his throat.

"Oh, oh yes," the Doctor said, abruptly letting go of the bride and stepping backwards.

Rose stumbled a bit at being released from the hug so suddenly.

"Doctor," Amy said, "perhaps some introductions are in order?"

"Oh, yes, seemed to have forgotten that," the Doctor said. "Amelia Pond, meet Rose Tyler. And this," he said, gesturing to the groom, "is me. Well, sort of me. I should say, he was me at one time, although I was never him."

"What?" Amy asked. "Wait. How is that even possible? And, besides, you don't look anything alike."

"We used to be identical," the Doctor said.

"Don't even try to make sense of it," Rose said with a laugh, patting the other woman's shoulder. "I was there, and it still took me a while to figure it all out. Amelia, was it?"

"Amy," Amy corrected.

"So what are you going by now?" the Doctor said to the groom.

"Rose still calls me 'Doctor'," the other man responded. "Otherwise it's Doctor John Smith to the world."

"Sometimes I call him John when we're around people we don't know very well," Rose put in. "Or even 'Mum' when he's being a right git." She grinned, and her tongue poked a tiny bit between her teeth.

John gave her an evil, filthy grin. "Or sometimes, I can even get her to call me 'god'."

Rose turned bright pink and covered her face as John laughed at her. She swatted him in the arm.

"Oh, that was so rude," she scolded, laughing.

"Sorry," John said, sounding only partially repentant. He grinned at her, and she grinned back.

Amy turned to the Doctor, who seemed to be embarrassed.

"Are you sure he's you?" she asked. When the Doctor nodded, she said, teasing him, "He's fun. What happened to you?"

The Doctor ignored her.

"Actually, in discussing names, my name's changing to John Tyler-Smith shortly. Very shortly, actually," John said, looking pointedly at Rose.

Rose gasped. "Oh my God. The wedding! We're late!"

"Phone your mum, tell her to delay it," John urged.

"Now where exactly do you think I'd be storing a mobile in this?" She gestured to her wedding gown.

John leered at her, glancing at her cleavage, and she swatted him again.

"Don't you even think of searching for it there," Rose scolded. "Not only isn't it there, but we've got guests. What about yours?"

John patted his pockets, looking for his phone. When he found it, he pulled it out, but before he could make the call the mobile began to play the theme from Jaws.

"Dedicated ringtone," he explained. "It's your mother," he said to Rose before he answered it.

"DOCTOR, WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?" Jackie's voice could be clearly heard by everyone despite the phone not being on speaker mode. "AND WHAT THE HELL HAVE YOU DONE WITH MY DAUGHTER?"

Both John and the Doctor winced.

Although it wasn't necessary, John switched the mobile to speaker. "Jackie, calm down," he said.

"I WILL NOT CALM DOWN. THE WEDDING WAS SUPPOSED TO START TEN MINUTES AGO AND THERE'S NO BRIDE, NO GROOM! THE BLOODY PRESIDENT'S HERE FOR GOODNESS SAKE. GET YOUR ARSES BACK HERE RIGHT NOW! AND DID I HEAR THE TARDIS?"

"Mum, we need a few minutes," Rose said, leaning towards the phone. "Have the caterers bring out the hors d'oeuvres, open the bar, and tell everyone that we'll be there shortly."

"How long?" Jackie asked, slightly mollified when she heard her daughter's voice.

Rose looked thoughtfully at the people in front of her. "We need at least another hour."

"AN HOUR! WHAT DO YOU MEAN…"

Rose rang off. She turned towards the Doctor and Amy.

"You're getting married?" the Doctor asked Rose, rather stupidly, Amy thought.

"Yes," John said, stepping next to Rose and putting an arm around her possessively.

Rose's mouth twitched. "You didn't think I wore this for my health, now, did you?"

"Who knows what the current fashions are in a parallel universe?" the Doctor answered. "On Laxicon 5, where we were headed, one year everyone wore yellow feathers and chicken hats. Another year, everything was purple and orange stripes. And another year everyone wore mauve. Outworlders kept on calling the Shadow Proclamation thinking there was a planet-wide emergency."

"That's where you were taking me?" Amy demanded. "And I was worried about what I'm wearing."

"So you see," the Doctor continued as if Amy hadn't interrupted, "formalwear might just have been the local style here."

John raised one eyebrow.

Rose crossed her arms in front of her. "Uh huh."

"Right," Amy drawled disbelievingly.

"Maybe I should be glad I'm not regenerating again," John said softly to Rose. "I seem to have become an idiot."

She stifled a giggle.

The Doctor scowled at him.

"Please, both of you," Rose said, "We'd really love it if you could stay for our wedding. I was just telling my mum how much I wished you were here, Doctor. Please stay."

John looked at his fiancée in surprise, and then at the man across from him. His jaw tightened, as well as his grip on her shoulders. He nodded sharply.

"Yes," he said. "Please stay."


	3. Chapter 3

**a/n: I originally started this story just to get myself over a little bit of writer's block, but then the characters took over and ran with it…**

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**Chapter 3**

"Are you sure?" the Doctor asked disbelievingly, looking quickly from Rose to John and back.

"Of course I'm sure!" Rose said with a wide smile.

John just nodded.

"Doctor, you did say we were going to be stuck here for several hours while the TARDIS repaired itself," Amy reminded him.

"What's wrong with the TARDIS?" John demanded.

"Oh, you know, rough landing, parallel universe, the usual," the Doctor replied.

"Well, if I'm going to a wedding, I've got to change!" Amy practically squealed and ran inside the TARDIS.

"Can we…" John jerked his head toward the TARDIS.

The Doctor's eyes widened in surprise. "Oh, yes, yes of course. Please do." He stepped away from the TARDIS door.

John and Rose entered the TARDIS. And stopped in amazement.

Rose gasped.

"Blimey." John shook his head as he walked forward. He looked around the console room. "What happened?"

The glowing coral struts and metal walkways had been replaced with smooth walls, gleaming lights and shining glass. The room seemed larger as well, with an additional level, more walkways, and an extra door leading back into the bowels of the ship.

"Rough regeneration. Practically blew up the interior of the console room. She rebuilt herself."

"She's beautiful," Rose breathed. John nodded.

"I like it," the Doctor said, caressing the console.

"Listen, I need to make a phone call," John said to the Doctor. "I'll be right outside if you need me." He said this to Rose, walking to her and taking her hand.

"Okay," she said, and gently kissed him.

John walked back to the door, turning once to look at the Doctor and Rose before he walked outside.

The Doctor and Rose stood in uncomfortable silence for a moment.

Rose took a deep breath, and let it out slowly.

"So, how are you?" she asked finally.

"Me?" the Doctor asked. "I'm fine."

"You're younger."

"No, I'm older," he said. "I just look younger." A lock of his fringe fell in his eyes and he brushed it back with his hand.

"How long has it been since..." she asked tentatively.

He took a deep breath and let it out in a rush. "Two years, four months, eleven days, thirteen hours, twenty-two minutes and fifteen, no, seventeen seconds. Roughly."

She smiled at his answer. "Same here," she said lightly. She took a moment to really look him over, from his floppy hair to his heavy boots. "So, first it was leather and jumpers, and then it was pinstripes and trainers. What is it now, tweed and bowties?" she asked.

"Bowties are cool," he answered automatically, touching his red bowtie as he said it.

Rose smiled. "Are they?" she asked.

"Yes," he said decisively.

"So… Amy," Rose said, jerking her head towards the bowels of the TARDIS. "Is she my replacement?"

"No." The Doctor gazed at her. He shook his head. "No one could _ever_ replace you, Rose," he said meaningfully. For a moment, they stared into each other's eyes.

Biting her lip, Rose looked away first. She turned from him and looked around the console room again.

"'S all different," she said. "New TARDIS, new you…"

"New, new, new Doctor," he said.

"No, that's him," she said, gesturing at the door. "You must be the new, new, new, new Doctor."

"Something like that." He watched her walk around the room, skirt back over one arm, touching things gently as if to convince herself they were real. "Rose, are you alright?"

"Me?" She smiled, small and slightly sadly. "I'm always alright."

"Hey, that's my line," he joked.

"I learned from the best," she said, grinning at him.

She paused for a moment, and then walked back to the console. "'S so different," she whispered. "Y'know, I was really angry with you for a long time," she said, not looking at him. "You lied to me about Donna, and you didn't even say goodbye."

"I'm sorry, Rose," he said softly.

"'S alright," she said, trailing a finger along the console. "I'm not angry anymore."

"I'm glad." He paused, inwardly debating, and then, decision made, went up to her. He turned her around, staring into her eyes. "Are you happy?"

"Doctor, if you are asking if I forgive you…" Rose said. "Yes, I forgive you."

"But are you happy?" He reached out and took her hand in his. Without thinking, they automatically laced their fingers together.

She paused, biting her lower lip again. She took a deep breath.

"This is not the life I would have chosen for myself," she said carefully. "I promised you forever and I meant it. I was never gonna leave you. You said I could stay with you forever, and then you left me."

The Doctor looked troubled. He took a step closer to her. With his free hand, he gently lifted her chin and stared at her intently. "Do you love him, Rose?"

"Of course I love him. How could I not? He's you."

The door to the TARDIS opened and John popped his head in. "Listen, change of plans, just got off the phone with…" His voice trailed off as he saw his fiancée next to the Doctor, the Doctor holding her hand in one of his, his other hand cupping her face. Eyes wide, he swallowed nervously and tugged on his left ear.

Amy entered the console room from the back, now wearing a short, shimmering gold dress which she thought showed off her long legs to their best advantage. She had taken the time to put her hair up and freshen her makeup. Her eyes widened as she saw John at the TARDIS door, and Rose and the Doctor near the console, standing much, much too close together than Amy thought proper for a woman wearing her wedding dress.

"Oops," Amy said.


	4. Chapter 4

**a/n: I want to thank everyone who has reviewed, followed, or 'favorited' this story. You all are the best! **

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**Chapter 4**

The Doctor jumped backwards and let go of Rose. She turned and looked at her fiancé.

"What were you saying, John?" she asked.

"Oh," he said, coming fully into the TARDIS. "I just got off the phone with Jake. I told him to tell everyone my brother's arrived from out of town unexpectedly, and he understood."

"Understood what?" Rose asked.

John turned to the Doctor. He took a deep breath, really hoping he wasn't making a mistake. "I want you to be my best man."

Amy's eyes got wide.

"What?" the Doctor said in disbelief. "You can't be serious. Besides, I am rubbish at weddings." _Particularly my own_, he thought, and then corrected himself. He and his other self weren't the same person anymore. This wasn't _his_ wedding.

"But I am serious," John answered. "You and I are the only family each of us has. Admittedly, it's a little odd, given that I'm you." At this, he rubbed the back of his neck. "Or at least I'm you as you were. Not to mention that I'm marrying, well... " His voice trailed off, not completing the thought. He jerked his head at Rose and cleared his throat. At seeing the Doctor's hesitation, he continued. "Please do it. Please."

The Doctor opened his mouth, shaking his head, and then shut it again. This was a bad idea. Very, very not good. He looked at Rose.

Rose glanced in shock at her fiancé, and then her expression became unreadable.

Amy had no idea what was going on, but she knew something was, and not knowing what it was was driving her barmy.

"Doctor, go ahead, do it," she prodded.

The Doctor watched Rose, trying to read her reaction. She was biting her lip again. She glanced from the Doctor to her fiancé and then back again. After a moment, she nodded, shrugging slightly.

He opened his mouth to refuse.

"Alright," is what came out.

John's face lit up and he clapped his hands together. "Brilliant. Now go get in a tux. You know, the one we wore on the Titanic. The spacecraft, not the ship. It's a close match to the one I'm wearing." He looked the full Time Lord Doctor over. "The TARDIS will make sure it fits you."

John's grin faded and his face became unreadable. He walked over to Rose, cupping her cheek in one hand. "Rose, you stay here and wait for him. When he's done, meet us back at the mansion." For a moment he just stared in her eyes. Finally, he bent down and gave her a kiss on the other cheek.

Then John turned and grinned manically at Amy.

"Amy, you come with me." He grabbed Amy's arm, dragging her out of the TARDIS. As they exited the doors, he could just barely hear the strains of_ Canon in D_ by Pachelbel float through the air. He walked quickly through the trees, heading back towards the mansion. Stumbling a bit, Amy tried her best to keep up.

"What's going on?" Amy demanded. "What's with the two of them? And why are we leaving them? Shouldn't we just wait and all go together? And can't you slow down? I'm in heels."

John stopped and looked at Amy's feet. She was wearing strappy gold sandals with five inch stiletto heels. "How long have you traveled with the Doctor anyway?"

"I dunno. Not that long, I guess," Amy answered defensively.

"Well, the first rule of traveling with the Doctor is… no, that's don't wander off." John thought for a moment. "One of the most important rules of traveling with the Doctor is always wear shoes you can run in."

"I'll have to remember that for the next time I'm trying to cross a bloody forest in formal dress to go to a wedding. While being dragged around by a bloody lunatic. Forget the high heels."

John grinned at her. "Oh, I like you. You remind me of a friend of mine. She was a ginger, too." He took her arm more gently and continued at a slower pace. "Actually, she was really more like a sister, well, a half-sister, sort of. Donna, her name was Donna. Still is, actually. At least, I can't imagine her changing her name. Good name, Donna. She saved the multiverse once upon a time..."

Amy blinked. He rambled worse than the Doctor, she thought. She interrupted him. "Are you going to answer my question?"

"Which one?"

"Start with the first and continue to the end," she ordered.

John stopped again and turned to her. He started ticking things off on his fingers.

"Okay, one, I'm supposed to be getting married so we are headed to a wedding. B, what's with those two is they have some issues to resolve and I think they should resolve them before we get married and four, or is it three, I want to give them some more time alone to resolve those issues. And d, or is this one four? Anyway, I'll try to remember to go slower." He started back toward the mansion.

"You said they have issues? What kind of issues?" Amy asked, still stumbling over the rough terrain despite the slower speed. She could hear the sounds of music and talking coming from somewhere in front of her.

At that moment, the mobile began to play the opening strains of the Jaws theme song again. John shook his head and stopped again. He held up one finger to Amy, retrieved his mobile, and answered it.

"WHERE THE BLOODY HELL ARE YOU TWO?" Jackie's voice blared out of the speaker.

"I'm almost back, Jackie. I'll be there in a minute."

"WHERE'S ROSE?"

"She's not here at the moment."

"WHAT? WELL THEN, WHERE THE HELL IS SHE?"

"Jackie, calm down," John urged. "She's back at the TARDIS with the Doctor."

"WHAT? ARE YOU INSANE? YOU LEFT HER WITH HIM? DO YOU BLOODY WELL NEED TO BE SECTIONED? I CAN'T BELIEVE…"

Whatever the woman named Jackie couldn't believe would remain a mystery to Amy because John hung up on her.

"So who's Jackie?" Amy asked.

"Rose's mother."

"Oh."

John cocked his head toward the sounds in front of them and offered Amy his arm. "Shall we?"

Amy took his arm automatically, and then stopped. "No."

He raised his eyebrows in surprise. "No?"

"No." Amy turned to look at him. "You were telling me about the Doctor and Rose. You were about to tell me what kind of issues they had. And then Rose's mother called and said you needed to be sectioned for leaving her with him. What gives?"

John sighed loudly. "Okay, since we're running out of time, the Doctor and Rose were in love, they got separated, they found each other again, I was accidentally created, and then the Doctor abandoned Rose and me on this planet, which is in a parallel universe that you shouldn't have been able to get to, figuring Rose would just accept me as a substitute." He said this extremely quickly, all in one breath.

Amy stared at him blankly, mouth slightly open.

"Okay," she said finally. "Forget I asked."

John turned to go.

"But wait," Amy said. "Why is that woman Jackie so upset?"

"Because she's afraid that Rose is gonna run off with him again."

Amy's eyes got big.

"Is that a possibility?" Amy asked.

"Yeah," he said honestly.

"Well, then, why aren't you back there trying to stop them?" Amy demanded.

"Because I trust Rose. I believe in her. If there's anything in this universe, or any universe, I believe in, it's her. And," he paused, not wanting to say the unthinkable aloud, "even if she chooses to go off with him, better she does it now before we're married than after."


	5. Chapter 5

**a/n: An absolutely HUGE thank you to Sleeping Kangaroo for some wonderful comments which took part of this chapter in a different direction.**

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**Chapter 5**

Amy's mind raced. John's comments about there being a possibility that Rose could run off with the Doctor cut a tiny bit too close to home. But Amy's own decision to travel with the Doctor on the eve of her wedding to Rory was entirely different. Wasn't it? She had been waiting to travel with him her entire life. And it's not as if the Doctor actually knew that when Amy left with him, she was supposed to get married the next day.

And this business of the Doctor and Rose having been in love? Was John sure about that? Amy just couldn't imagine it. Rose seemed nice and all, and she was kinda pretty, but it's not as if the Doctor had ever even mentioned her or anything. Not that the Doctor ever really talked about himself. Or his past. It occurred to her that maybe she didn't really know him all that well. That thought disturbed her, so she pushed it out of her mind. She knew him well enough. She had known him well enough to run away with him the night before her own wedding.

But if the Doctor and Rose had been in love at one point, and in Amy's mind that was still a big if, it _would_ kinda explain the weird vibes she had been getting from everyone in the TARDIS. And the funny expression the Doctor had on his face when he first saw Rose. And the fact that he had been holding Rose's hand in the console room. But if the Doctor really did take off with Rose, where would that leave her? Amy wondered. Really. Where would she be? She didn't even know where she was. And John had said something about a parallel universe. The Doctor wouldn't forget that he had brought her here, would he? He wouldn't forget about her? Her stomach clenched nervously.

And Amy _really _didn't get John's reaction to all of this. It was almost as if he was pushing the two of them together. She would never push Rory together with an ex-girlfriend. If an ex-girlfriend of Rory's came around, she'd slap the girl into next week. Not that Rory had any ex-girlfriends…

* * *

Rose waited for the Doctor in the console room. She was tempted to wander back in the halls, to take a look around, maybe even see if she could find her old room, but the TARDIS had changed so much she was afraid she might get lost.

Plus, she didn't feel like she belonged anymore. She never would have guessed she'd ever feel like that.

And feeling like that hurt.

The Doctor emerged from the wardrobe room more quickly than Rose expected dressed in a tuxedo that matched the one John was wearing.

"Wow," she said, plastering a false smile on her face and trying to make it genuine, "you clean up good. But then you always did."

"Really?" he said dubiously. "Even when I was big ears and leather?"

"Yup," she said, this time with a genuine grin. "Especially then, because it was so unexpected. You never wore anything but jeans and jumpers back in those days."

"Well, those days are certainly over," he said. _Thank goodness_, he added inwardly.

"You clean up well yourself," he said. "You look lovely, Rose."

"Thank you."

"Shall we?" he asked, offering her his arm.

"Yes, I believe we shall." She smiled up at him.

They headed out of the TARDIS and towards the sounds of music and talking. After a few steps Rose stopped, pulling the Doctor to a halt.

"Doctor, can I ask you something?" she said.

"Of course, Rose," he said. "You can ask me anything."

"Do you ever, you know, think about me?" she asked hesitantly.

He looked at her in surprise. "How can you even ask me that?"

She reached up and stroked the side of his face. "I miss you, you know."

He smiled at her. He cupped her face in one hand, gently caressing her lips with his thumb.

"Lead the way, Rose Tyler," he said.

They started walking again, following the path that John and Amy had taken.

"It's odd, you know, to think I'm going to be the best man," the Doctor said.

"Don't let it go to your head," Rose teased, and poked him in the side.

He laughed, and then said more seriously, "No, really, Rose. Whenever I pictured your wedding, I never saw myself in the role of the best man."

"Well, that's the only part left, Doctor," she said. "You already gave me away."

* * *

John and Amy reached the clearing. Amy saw hundreds of people milling around on the manicured grounds of a huge mansion. Waiters were carrying around trays of champagne and hors d'oeuvres.

"Ooo, nibbles," John said, and he grabbed something off a tray and popped it in his mouth. He snagged a glass of champagne from a passing waiter and handed it to Amy.

"Wow," she said, taking a sip from the glass. "This is pretty posh."

John nodded. "It's not our style at all. Rose and I would be just as happy eloping. But her step-father is a very rich, very important man in this world…" He shrugged.

"Which one is he?" Amy asked.

"Pete's standing over there." John pointed out a balding man in his mid-fifties who was standing in the shade of the canopy.

"With that little boy?"

"Yeah. That little boy is Rose's half-brother Tony."

"There you are!" A loud woman's voice came from behind them.

"And that is Rose's mother, Jackie." John said without bothering to turn around.

"Where have you been? And where is Rose?" Jackie caught up with them, coming around to stand in front of John. "And who is this?"

Amy saw that Jackie Tyler was a small, blonde woman in her mid-forties. She was wearing an expensive looking but drab light blue dress that screamed 'mother of the bride'. A tiny matching pillbox hat was perched precariously on top of her head.

John grabbed a glass of champagne for himself and downed it in one. He set the empty glass back on the waiter's tray. "Jackie, in reverse order, this is Amy Pond. She travels with the Doctor. I'm not sure exactly where Rose is at the moment. And you know where I've been, because I already told you."

"I can't believe you," Jackie said, shaking her head. "For you to just leave her there, with him. And for him to show up. And today of all days. What if he decides to take her for a spin in the TARDIS? For old times sake?"

"He's not gonna do that," John assured her with more confidence than he felt.

"He could," Jackie insisted. "And you _know_ what happened that first time. And we've got three hundred people here. And the President."

"What happened the first time?" Amy asked.

"That man took her for a short trip and she was gone a year," Jackie informed her. "The idiot."

"Oi!" protested John vehemently. "Standing right here, Jackie. Plus, his driving may have improved."

"I dunno," said Amy slowly. "When I first met him he told me he was only going to be gone five minutes."

"And how long was he gone?" John and Jackie asked at the same time.

"Twelve years."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

The Doctor and Rose walked slowly through the trees, generally heading towards the mansion and the sounds of wedding guests. Despite being late, Rose was in no hurry to get back. She was the bride, after all; it's not as if they'd start without her.

They walked close together, Rose's hand holding onto his outstretched arm. A couple of times she had tried to pull away, but he had pulled her closer, putting his free hand on top of hers to keep her there, and eventually she had given up. He told himself that he was just doing it so she wouldn't stumble on the uneven terrain in her wedding gown, but she had shown no signs of stumbling.

Suddenly he stopped, and she looked up at him in surprise.

"Rose, I asked you this before, and you never answered," he said. "Are you happy? Cos if you're not…" He stared meaningfully at her and jerked his head back the way they came, back towards the TARDIS.

When her face lit up, he felt as if both of his hearts stopped and for a second he forgot to breathe. He thought the expression on her face was probably the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. No, she was the most beautiful person he had ever seen.

"Thank you," she said. "You've just given me the best wedding present I could ever get."

"I don't understand."

"A choice," she explained. "The choice you shoulda given me when you dropped us off last time. You just dumped us off, without much explanation and no real choice."

"I thought you did choose," he said, thinking of the kiss he had seen her share with his counterpart.

"You manipulated that and you know it. You shoulda talked to me."

"There wasn't time," he insisted.

Rose rolled her eyes. "You're a Time Lord. You've got a time machine. You shoulda made the time."

He looked away from her, unwilling to admit that she was right.

"But I already said I forgive you for that, and I'm not angry anymore. I haven't been angry for a long time."

She pulled her hand free of his arm. At the same time, she dropped the hem of her skirt off her arm, freeing her other hand. She cupped his face in her hands.

"Thank you," she said sincerely. "Thank you for finally giving me the choice." She stood on her tiptoes and gently kissed him on the mouth.

At the feel of her lips on his, the Doctor's eyes widened in surprise. When she pulled away from him, he caught her in his arms and pulled her back towards him. He cradled the back of her head in one hand, the other hand he placed at the center of her back, holding her firmly against himself. She gasped and stared up at him, lips slightly parted. Time froze as he lowered his head to hers.

* * *

John looked nervously around the garden at the crowd of milling wedding guests. The string quintet was taking a break, its members standing around casually eating hors d'oeuvres, drinking champagne, and chatting with wedding guests. He didn't blame them. They had only planned on playing for a short while before the wedding. A wedding that was now one hour, forty-seven minutes, and thirty-eight seconds overdue. He saw Jake Simmonds, the man who was originally supposed to be his best man, standing near the canopy, talking with a number of people he recognized as working for Torchwood. He could see Pete Tyler, father of the bride, talking to the new President of Great Britain, surrounded by people he assumed were a security detail. Amy had wandered off with Jackie somewhere. He still could see no sign of Rose or the Doctor.

The sounds of a nearby helicopter made him look up. The paparazzi. _Well, isn't that just wizard_, he thought, gritting his teeth. Luckily, with the President in attendance, they couldn't approach too closely. Still, the story of the delay of the wedding was certain to be posted all over the tabloids by morning. If it wasn't already all over the internet and the cable news. He could just see the headlines: Vitex heiress gets cold feet, disappears with groom's brother.

Where was she? He ran his hands through his hair as his stomach clenched. Surely, surely she would come and tell him if she had decided not to go through with the wedding. Surely _he_ wouldn't drag her off in the TARDIS on her wedding day.

"Doctor?"

He whirled around. In front of him stood Toshiko Sato, Rose's maid of honor. With a start, he realized the silk gown she wore could be considered a shade of mauve, the interplanetary color indicating emergencies.

"Doctor, what's going on? And where's Rose? Jackie won't tell me anything."

He took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. "Tosh," he said, "he's back."

"What are you talking about?" she asked. "Who's back?"

"Him. The Doctor."

Tosh stared at him blankly for a moment, and then her eyes opened wide with realization.

"So that's who Jake was talking about before when he said your brother had arrived." She looked around at the crowd. "Where is he? And where's Rose?"

"I dunno," he said anxiously, eyes searching the crowd again.

"Surely you don't think…" She stared at him. "Oh, you do think."

He whirled on her. "I don't think anything," he snapped.

Toshiko raised her eyebrows at him.

John sighed. "I'm sorry, Tosh. I'm just a bit… on edge."

"It's okay, Doctor." Tosh patted his arm. "Don't worry. Everything will work out for the best."

"Will it?" John asked dubiously and continued to search the crowd. Suddenly he saw them emerge from the trees. He started towards them.

Amy spotted them at the same instant, but she was closer so she reached them first.

"Doctor, Rose, where have you been?" she hissed. "Do you have any idea what people are saying? What people are thinking?"

"Where's the Doctor?" Rose asked, ignoring Amy's questions.

"Uh, right next to you?" Amy spoke slowly as if she were addressing an idiot.

Rose didn't take offense. "Sorry, no, that's not what I meant." Rose scanned the crowd. "That's not _who_ I meant," she clarified. "Where's John?"

"I dunno, but your mum's looking for you."

Rose nodded absently. "If you see anyone looking for me, I'll be in the house. If you see John, tell him I need to speak to him." She headed towards the mansion.

The Doctor watched her go.

"This is so not cool, Doctor."

"What, Amy?" he said absently.

"This," she said, gesturing at him. "Do you have a handkerchief?"

"What?" He finally seemed to realize she was there. "Oh." He pulled one out of his pocket and held it up. She jerked it out of his hand and started wiping his mouth.

He tried to pull his head out of the way. "What are you doing?"

"Trying to destroy the evidence." She was rougher than she probably needed to be but he deserved it, she thought. "Lipstick," she said, holding up the handkerchief for him to examine. "Honestly, Doctor, snogging the bride right before her wedding? I thought you had more sense."

"Do not presume to judge me, Amelia. You do not know what's going on."

"I know enough," she said. "And it's Amy."

"She seems to have found him," the Doctor said.

Amy followed his gaze. Sure enough, John and Rose were standing some distance off, talking animatedly. Amy tried to see if she could figure out what they were saying. Some wedding guests walked in front of them, blocking her view. "Move it, move it, get out of the way," she muttered, trying to see around them. "Idiots." When they finally moved, Amy saw that John and Rose were no longer there. She quickly scanned the crowd for them. Finally, she spotted Rose entering the mansion and John speaking with the minister.

"Doctor, what's going on?" she asked. When he didn't respond, she turned her head.

He was no longer there.

* * *

In the hall outside the kitchen, Jackie was adjusting Rose's veil.

"Are you sure about this?" Jackie asked again. "Are you absolutely sure? Because it's not too late to change your mind. You know I just want you to be happy."

"I'm sure, Mum," Rose said. "Really. I've never been more certain of anything in my life. And I am happy. Really."

"Okay, then." Jackie pulled her daughter into a tight hug. "I love you, Sweetheart."

"I love you, too, Mum. Thank you for everything."

Jackie pulled away and pulled out a tissue, dabbing her face again.

"Alright, then," she said. "Let's go get you married."

Rose slowly walked out of the mansion on the arm of her step-father. The quintet was playing something she didn't recognize.

"You're sure you're sure about this," Pete said.

Rose smiled at him. "Yes, Dad, I'm sure. I'm completely, totally, positively, one hundred percent sure."

He grinned at her. "Well, just as long as you're sure."

Rose rolled her eyes.

When they reached the canopy, the quintet began to play_ Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring_.

She looked down the aisle to the makeshift altar in front. There, waiting for her, was the man she loved more than life itself, standing next to the other man she loved beyond belief.

She looked up at Pete and grinned.

"Let's do this."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"And do you, Rose Marion Tyler, take this man to be your husband, to have and to hold, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, forsaking all others, as long as you both shall live?"

"I do."

"The rings, please. Now repeat after me. With this ring, I thee wed."

"With this ring, I thee wed."

"With this ring, I thee wed."

"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride."

The Doctor watched with a sense of déjà vu as John stepped forward and leaned towards Rose. He bent down and, instead of kissing her, he whispered in her ear. She broke into a wide grin which John promptly kissed off her face. It turned quickly into a long snog.

The wedding guests applauded. Amy whistled appreciatively. After several moments the minister cleared her throat.

John and Rose broke apart, both grinning from ear to ear, then John grabbed Rose, lifting her up and swinging her around, almost knocking her into the minister. They both laughed hysterically.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it is the honor and privilege for the presiding minister to be the first to introduce the newly married couple. In this case, they were extremely specific about how they wished to be introduced. So may I present, the Doctor and Rose Tyler-Smith."

Amy watched as Rose looked up at her new husband happily, who in turn looked at her adoringly. She glanced at the Doctor. He had an unreadable expression on his face. She saw Rose glance over at him before she and John walked back up the aisle.

John grabbed the Doctor's hand and shook it vigorously as soon as he had escorted Tosh back up the aisle.

"Thank you, thank you very much."

Rose pushed John out of the way and gave the Doctor a huge hug. "I know this was difficult for you," she whispered in his ear. "Thank you."

"Oh, Rose," he whispered back, "you are very, very welcome."

"And now," she said at a normal tone of voice, "to the reception for dinner and dancing."

"Oh, no," he said, shaking his head. "I need to find Amelia and she and I really must be going."

"Nope," she said. "I won't take no for an answer. You both need to eat, and I insist on one dance."

"Rose, I don't dance," the Doctor protested.

"You forget," she said, "I know you too well. The world will not implode if the Doctor dances." She grinned cheekily, the tip of her tongue sticking just a tiny bit through her teeth.

The Doctor rolled his eyes.

"And I get one with the groom," Amy said, raising her hand as she walked up to them.

"It's a deal," John said with a grin.

"But we're really running out of time," said the Doctor. "We've got to get back to the TARDIS."

"Doctor," said Rose, "Time Lord. Time machine. For once, make the time."

Later, the Doctor and Amy watched as John and Rose had their first dance as a married couple.

The reception was being held in an adjacent part of the garden. Candlelit tables had been set in concentric circles on the lawn. A large area had been left open in the center and a temporary floor had been set down for dancing. A full orchestra had been hired and was set up on the far side of the lawn.

"Bit of an odd choice, isn't that?" Amy asked.

"What?" the Doctor asked.

"Glen Miller's _In the Mood_? Usually couples choose a slow song."

"It's their song," he responded. He took a deep breath, and let it out in a rush. "It was our song, too, as it happens."

Amy looked curiously at him.

Jackie stalked up to them. The Doctor inwardly winced and thought he'd rather face down a Yeti.

"Doctor?" she said.

The Doctor nodded. "Yes, Jackie."

"You've changed again," she said unnecessarily.

He sighed. "Yes, Jackie."

She slapped him. "That's for making my daughter two hours late for her own wedding."

Before he could process that, Jackie leaned over and kissed the same spot. "And that's for not spiriting her away. It was good to see you. I'm so glad you could come."

She turned and left, the Doctor staring after her in shock. His jaw hung open. He rubbed the spot where she had slapped him and shook his head.

"The day I understand that woman is the day I pack it in."

John and Rose finished their dance and came over to sit next to them.

"Now there's still something I don't understand," Amy said. "You both say you are the same person, but you don't look alike, you don't act alike, and obviously, there are two of you. Can you explain it again to me?"

John opened his mouth to speak but the Doctor beat him to it.

"Allow me. Long story, Pond. Fought a duel on a spaceship and got my hand cut off." At this, John raised his hand and wiggled his fingers at Amy. "An immortal friend of mine found it and kept it in a jar. I got it back and kept it in the TARDIS. I got injured, started to regenerate, threw the excess energy along with a portion of myself into the jar with my spare hand," John wiggled his fingers again, "a friend of mine touched the jar and then bingo, bango, bongo, John's body was created. Piece of cake."

"Okay, Doctor," Amy said, "just one question."

"What is it, Amelia?"

"Can we go back to the point where I asked and pretend I didn't?"

Rose burst out laughing.

The orchestra started playing a slow song. The Doctor thought he recognized it, but he couldn't quite place it.

"Okay, Amy, now it's our turn." John stood up and dragged her onto the dance floor.

"See, I told you you could dance," Rose said to the Doctor, gesturing at John and Amy. John was whirling her expertly across the floor.

"I plead the fifth."

"Isn't that an American thing? Doesn't count here." She stood up and pulled him onto the dance floor.

"I am glad you could come," Rose said to him. She had her arms around his neck and he had his arms around her waist.

"You do know it was an accident, don't you? I didn't mean to come."

Rose rolled her eyes. "I'm not an idiot, you know."

"I never said you were," he said. "In fact, I've always thought you were brilliant."

They stood on the dance floor, barely swaying. With a start, the Doctor recognized the song the orchestra was playing. It was an instrumental version of _I Will Always Love You._

_How terribly, terribly appropriate_, he thought.

"Amelia and I really need to get going," he said.

"I know," she said quietly.

"Just as soon as she's done with my other self over there." He nodded at the couple who were dancing on the far side of the dance floor. While they watched, John lowered Amy into a dip while she laughed. Rose smiled and then turned back to her own dance partner.

"You know," Rose said, fingering his tie, "bowties are pretty cool."

The Doctor grinned at her. "Yes, they are, aren't they?"

She paused, turning suddenly serious. "I'm never gonna see you again, am I?"

"Probably not."

"I'm gonna miss you," she said.

"You do know he's me, that man you married over there."

"Yeah, I know," she said. "But you're you, too, and I'm gonna miss you."

He swallowed thickly.

"I still love you, you know," she said.

"Rose…" he said, shaking his head.

"It did need saying back then. You should have said it back then," she said, "because now you can't."

"Oh, Rose," he said, "please don't."

"No, let me finish," she said. "I need to say this, and you need to hear it. If you ever find someone else…" She closed her eyes for a moment, because despite his regeneration, despite her marriage, what she had to say was still painful. "_When _you find someone else," she corrected herself, "make sure you say it. Because it needs saying. It always needs saying."

The song ended and they broke apart. John and Amy crossed the dance floor to stand next to them, Amy next to the Doctor, John to wrap his arms around his new wife.

"So this is goodbye," John said.

"I guess so," said Amy. "It was really nice meeting you both."

"You, too," Rose said. "Take good care of him. He needs someone to take care of him."

"I will," Amy said, grabbing the Doctor's arm.

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "I've been taking care of myself perfectly well for over nine hundred years."

"Yeah, right," said Rose sarcastically.

John let go of Rose and hugged Amy goodbye. Then he turned to the Doctor and grabbed him in a hug.

"Thanks for not stealing my girl," John said.

"You take good care of her," the Doctor responded.

Rose grabbed the Doctor in one last hug. "Goodbye, Doctor," she said, placing a kiss on his cheek.

"Goodbye, Rose."


	8. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

Rose and her new husband, the part human Doctor, now Doctor John Tyler-Smith, sat at one of the tables by the dance floor, each of them resting their trainer-clad feet on the table in front of them. He snagged a couple of glasses of champagne from a nearby waiter and handed one to his wife. They raised their glasses to each other, and then downed the contents, placing the glasses on the table in front of them when they were finished.

The Doctor reached out his hand to his wife, who took it. As always, he noted how perfectly her hand fit in his.

"Interesting day," he said.

"That it was," Rose agreed.

"You know," the Doctor said slowly, pointedly not looking at her, "when he showed up, I was a little afraid you were going to run off with him."

"You're kidding." She stared at him. "Seriously?"

He shrugged.

Rose shook her head. "Not a chance."

"You kissed him," he said, glancing to see in her reaction if his guess was correct.

"Might have done," she shrugged. "But really, it was more, he kissed me."

"You still love him." It wasn't a question.

She shrugged again. "I love you, too. And it's not exactly _my_ fault there are two of you."

He nodded in agreement. The meta-crisis regeneration was unique, and a bizarre situation even for Time Lords. "Still, why'd you pick me?"

She did a double take. "You can't be serious."

He shrugged again.

"I told you forever, and I meant it."

"You said that before Canary Wharf, when I was still part of him," he reminded her. "So why me?"

She stared at him again, shaking her head. Honestly, he could be so clueless sometimes. Either him. _Any_ him, when you came right down to it.

"You know," she said carefully, to avoid misunderstandings, "when this you was created I loved both of you the same. I couldn't help it. You were exactly the same man. But I started falling in love with you, this you, separate and distinct from him, that first day on the beach in Norway. You told me you loved me and you offered to spend the rest of your life with me. And every day since then I have fallen a little more in love with you. At Bad Wolf Bay, he left us there, without giving me a choice. Without giving either of us a choice. But you offered me your forever. You said you could spend the rest of your life with me, if _I _wanted. You let me choose. Why on Earth would I ever leave you? I made my decision a long time ago, Doctor, and I'm never leaving you."

* * *

"Well, Pond, it looks like the TARDIS has recovered from our little mishap." The Doctor finished scanning the console with his sonic screwdriver. "Ready to go?"

Amy nodded. The Doctor flipped a few switches and the Time Rotor started rising and lowering, making its familiar groaning sound.

"So," said Amy after a moment. "That was Rose Tyler."

"Yes, Amelia," he said without looking at her. "That was Rose Tyler. Rose Tyler-Smith now. The woman I… The only woman I ever…" He sighed audibly. "And now she's married to someone else."

After a moment, the Doctor turned to Amy. "So, Pond, fancy another try at Laxicon 5?"

"Sure, Doctor," Amy said.

He grinned at her and turned back to the console, flipping switches and pushing buttons. "Laxicon 5, here we come!"


End file.
